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Second Class Macs & Road Apples
Power Mac 4400 and 7220

Dan Knight - 1999.03.08
Second Class Macs are Apple's somewhat compromised hardware designs. For the most part, they're not really bad - simply designs that didn't meet their full potential. (On our rating scale, the more brown apples, the worse the hardware.)
Like several other road apples, the Power Mac4400 (known as the
7220 in some markets) wasn't a terrible design, just an odd one. Just
look at the picture - it had the floppy drive on the left, which is a
very un-Mac-like place to put it.
But then there was a lot about the Spartan, utilitarian Power Mac 4400 that was un-Mac-like. It used the same kind of motherboard as the Motorola StarMax 3000, one with a fixed CPU. This machine was not intended for upgrades.
Despite the fact that Apple had a wonderful case for the Power Mac 7200 through 7600, it went with what is essentially a PC clone case, complete with hard metal edges.
The 4400 had all the usual ports, three PCI slots,* and very little to set it apart from the less expensive clones from Power Computing, Motorola, and Umax. Of course, those were the models Apple designed the 4400 to compete against.
The 4400 wasn't a bad computer, but it was cheaply made for an Apple product and still overpriced compared with the Maclones. Further, it was designed with no upgrade path whatsoever. (Thank goodness some companies designed G3 cards for the cache slot!)
No wonder MacWeek
called it "a strange bird."
- * Apple pulled one PCI slot in the 200 MHz version, replacing it with a Comm II slot.
Details
- 160 MHz model introduced 1996.11.07, 200 MHz models in Feb. and Apr. 1997, discontinued
- requires System 7.5.3 (with System Enabler 827) or later, excluding 7.5.5
- CPU: 160 MHz or 200 MHz PPC 603e
- bus: 40 MHz
- performance: XXX (relative to SE)
- ROM: 4 MB
- RAM: 32 MB, expandable to 96 MB (160 MHz version) or 160 MB (200 MHz model) using 3.3V unbuffered EDO RAM (three DIMM sockets, each supports an 8, 16, or 32 MB SIMM in 160 MHz model; support 64 MB DIMMs in 200 MHz machines; slot 1 supports only single-bank DIMMs)
- VRAM: 1 MB in 4400/160, 2 MB in 4400/200
- Video, std, 4400/160: 16-bit to 832 x 624, 8-bit to 1152-870
- Video, std, 4400/200: 24-bit to 800 x 600, 16-bit to 1152 x 870, 8-bit to 1280 x 1024
- L2 cache: 256 KB (optional on 4400/160)
- hard drive: 1.2 GB IDE in 4400/160, 2 GB IDE in 4400/200
- CD-ROM: 8x (12x in DOS Compatible model)
- ADB: 1 port for keyboard and mouse
- serial: 2 DIN-8 RS-422 ports on back of computer
- SCSI: DB-25 connector on back of computer
- three PCI slots in 4400/160, two plus a Comm II slot in 4400/200
Other Resources
- The 10 worst Macs ever built, Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac, 2001.08.06
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 17" iMac G4/800 MHz, July 2002 - The iMac 'grows up' with a 17" 1440 x 900 display.
- Group of the Day: LisaList supports Lisa users.
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content
- Quad-Core CPU Makes Sense in MacBook Pro, OS X 10.6 Causing Overheating, Overseas Power, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.06. Also Late 2009 MacBook reviewed, how to add RAM to new MacBook, 18.4in Acer notebook used Intel i7, and SanDisk SSD chosen for Sony VAIO X.
- Dumping Macs for Google Apps, SSD in iMac, Late 2009 iMac Performance Problems, and More, Mac News Review, 11.06. /newsrev/09mnr/1106.html
- WiFi Paranoia, iMac-O-Lantern, Magic Mouse Does Click, Free Clipboard Managers, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.05. Also strange time stamps, problem with ColorIt on Intel Mac, and the story behind OS X 10.5.4 install discs.
- IDE Is Dead; Long Live SATA!, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.04. SATA has displaced parallel ATA. While IDE hard drives haven't disappeared, the best deals are in SATA hard drives.
- QuickTime X in Snow Leopard Imports, Trims, and Publishes Video Quickly and Easily, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 11.04. The long, slow process of importing video into iMovie to edit it, then render it to another format, is history as QuickTime X does that much more quickly.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.03. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 8-core. $2,299; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.26 8-core, $2,799; 2.93, $4,999.
- Best iPhone Deals, 11.03. New 8 GB iPhone 3G, $$99; refurb 16 GB 3GS, $149; new, $199; 32 GB, $299.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.03. Used 867 MHz SperDrive, $348; 1 GHz, $499; 1.33 Combo, $298; SD, $559; 1.5 Combo, $448; SuperDrive, $589.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; G4/366, $49; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.02. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733 MHz, $69; 933 MHz, $209; 1.25 GHz dual, $299.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.02. Used 2.0 GHz, $800; 2.2, $900; 2.4, $1,000; refurb 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,949; 3.06, $2,169; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 10.30. Used 1.33 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.42, $389; 1.5, $419; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $350; Core 2, $439; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $770; Server, $990.
- Best G4 iBook Deals, 10.30. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $225; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1 GHz, $349; 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz SuperDrive, $498.
- Best Classic Mac OS Deals, 10.30. System 6.0.8 floppies, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5, $20; 7.5 CD, $4; 7.6 $13; 8.1, $11; 8.5, $20; 8.6, $90; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $30.
- More deals in our archive.
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